Abstract

Many cancer survivors report cognitive impairment before, during and after medical treatment. It is well known that many factors other than chemotherapy take part in the development of these cancer- related cognitive impairments (CRCI), such as cancer-related fatigue, psychological as well as molecular factors. The purpose of this review is to describe the impact of physical inactivity in the genesis of these cognitive changes in cancer patients. References for this narrative review comes primarily from PubMed, Cochrane Library and Livivo databases. It contains literature search from October 2003 to April 2016. Our search was focused on available data for the influence of physical inactivity on cognitive performance of cancer patients. Cancer patients have decreased levels of physical activity during treatment. It is suggested that lack of physical activity in general is associated with cognitive decline. At present, most available data comes from trials with heart failure patients as well as results from bed rest studies in space medicine. The development of CRCI is a multifactorial process with physical inactivity appearing to play an important role. However, the available data remains limited and future trials are needed to examine the specific role of physical inactivity on CRCI.